Register your entries by August 18

Set up days August 18-22

Now that you have made, baked, or grown your entries for the fair, you need to register them. Enter FREE online by August 17 at midnight, or bring your entry forms to the hall before August 17 on market days, or drop them off in the Fall Fair folder at Dockside Realty, and we will put them in the system for you. After August 17, your entries can only be put in by our registration volunteers. On Friday, August 22, as exhibits are brought in for judging, any late registrations will cost $2 per entry for adults over 18 at that time.

1. Go online and create your account with AssistExpo (will be open in June, date TBA) then enter the Pender Island Fall Fair - select your sections and classes to enter. Exhibitors can even purchase a fall fair barbecue ticket online. BBQ tickets are also available at Talisman Books and at the Farmers’ Market Wednesdays and Saturdays.

2. Prepare your entry, and bring it to the Hall on Friday, August 22 between 3 and 6 pm . There will be areas marked for you to drop off - kids entries will be in the bright circus tents, arts and crafts go up the outside ramp to the upper hall, and vegetables, flowers, fruit, baking, preserves, eggs and honey, and wine and beer go to the back of the hall at the big doors. Poultry go to the Poultry area in Karl Hamson’s field next to the beer garden and must be there 3-6 pm in order to be judged at 6. BE SURE TO REGISTER BEFORE AUG 17 - IT IS FREE! - AND YOUR ENTRY TAGS WILL BE READY FOR YOU WHEN YOU SHOW UP. LATE REGISTRATION WILL COST $2 PER ENTRY FOR ADULTS ONLY (OVER 18)

Monday, August 18 - set up begins at the Pender Island Community Hall at 9:00 am and continues Tuesday through Friday - Volunteers are more than welcome! Staff and volunteers will be on site to help with registration and answer questions, sell barbecue tickets, and we will start decorating and set up inside the Hall.

Wednesday, August 20 - set up outside - large tents and livestock pens - Volunteers welcome! Complimentary food and refreshments for volunteers. Come out and transform the Hall into the Fairgrounds! Buy your BBQ tickets!

Thursday, August 21 - set-up and decorating continues - Community Groups are encouraged to come and help with set up of their own areas, and help with other tasks if possible.

Friday, August 22

Late in-person registration and all entry drop-off at the Community Hall 3-6 pm with the exception of livestock. Please consult catalogue - available at the Farmers’ Market, online, and at most retail outlets. Community groups can set up displays. More complimentary food and refreshments for conveners, judges and volunteers. BBQ tickets available on-site.

Exhibits may be dropped off at the designated areas and entry tags attached to the exhibit. The public is to drop off items and leave the area, do not enter the exhibit areas that are being prepared for judging.

Judging begins promptly at 6 pm. Only authorized persons may enter the judging areas.

Please leave your dogs at home on Friday and Saturday. No dogs will be permitted in the fair grounds or hall area.

Fair Day! Saturday August 23

7-9 am - Drop off livestock at the livestock area - evening before if necessary (Barb Johnstone and Shelagh Niblock, conveners). Poultry must be dropped off in the poultry tent 3-6 pm Friday to be judged (Arthur Kikuchi, convener).

9:30 am - Farmers’ Market opens and will run until 1 pm (some vendors may stay longer) - Free for public to attend the Farmers’ Market, it will be just outside the Fairgrounds.

10:00 am - Gates open. Admission will be by donation, suggested donation $7 per person, free for age 5 and under. Door prizes! Many thanks to the Pender Island Lions Club for their help with the gate this year.

Fall Fair BBQ Tickets on sale at the Information Booth . BBQ is Slow-roasted baron of beef (or vegetarian option), roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, coleslaw, buns. $18 per plate.

Raffle Tickets available for the Student Bursaries Fundraiser near the Information Booth . The Neptune Navy Grimmer - Ashton Ross-Smith Bursary is for graduating students who are entering a field related to agriculture, and the NEW Ellen Willingham - Tekla Deverell Bursary for graduating students who have volunteered in our community - Tickets are available at the Fair with tickets drawn for prizes after the Fall Fair trophies are awarded in the afternoon. Thank you to the Nu-To-You for all of your help this year.

Games for Young and Old! Face Painting courtesy of Three in the Tree.

Food area with hamburgers, hot dogs, vegetarian options, ice cream. The Pender Island Royal Canadian Legion Branch 239, Pender Island Pirates baseball team, and Tom and Jerry’s food truck will be there to serve you. Free water on site, bring your own reusable water containers. The Recycling Society will be helping you sort your discards as we strive for a Zero-Waste fair.

10:30 am - Parade to the Grounds! The Parade is free to enter, anyone can enter! (Jaime MacLean, Parade Marshall). Trophies for best decorated children’s bicycle, best float, and best individual parade entry (details in catalogue, in Assist Expo as Section Q, class 7)

11:00 am - Opening Ceremony. Stage. MC Bruce McConchie.

Guests of Honour - Willingham and Deverell Families.

Beer garden opens - Sara Miles, Organizer. Proceeds from the beer garden go to the Community Hall.

Exhibit Hall opens after Judging is completed. Enjoy our island entertainment and outside exhibits, displays and games while you wait for the Hall to open.

11:10 am - Pender Highlanders, in front of the Stage.

11:30 am - Denny Goertz and Pender Young Violins, on Stage.

12:15 pm - Livestock Showcase - Show Ring in the “Farm Yard” with announcer Tony Legault.

1:00 pm - Sheep Shearing and Wool Spinning Demonstration - Pieter DeMooy and local spinners - Show Ring in the “Farm Yard”. Pieter will show the “Imagination meets Innovation” of sheep shearing as he displays hand shearing all the way up to the state of the art shearing equipment used today.

1:30 pm - Matty Mingles, Magician. Fun for all ages!

2:15 pm - Corn Shucking, field behind the BBQ “The Farm Yard” - children are welcome to join in!

2:30pm - Live music - Maddie Glover, Pender Island singer-songwriter

3:30 pm - Berry Pie Contest - Main stage area, next to the Hall

3:45 pm - Nep Grimmer and Ashton Ross-Smith Bursary and the Ellen Willingham - Tekla Deverell Bursary award Presentations . Fall Fair Trophy Presentations and Raffle draw, on Stage.

4:00 pm - The 2025 Fair Exhibits may now be removed from the Hall and Tents.

5:00 pm - Live music - Adam Dobres

5:00 pm - Fall Fair Barbecue is served and music continues. Barbecue organizer, Linda Deen assisted by barbecue masters Aaron Grimmer and volunteers.

6:00 pm - Live music - Richard Moody Trio

7:00 pm - Beer garden is now closing. Last call!

Lightning Taxi will be graciously providing free transportation to and from Magic Lake throughout the Fair.

9:00 am - Take-down of Fair - Volunteers are more than welcome!

10:00 am - Complimentary French toast breakfast for volunteers by Chef Pierre!

And start planning for 2026!

Thank you, Pender Island!